OK, on to my thoughts on "Chuck vs the Fake Name" and other "Chuck"-related matters.

Having someone say, "Trust me, it's all going to be OK" can be annoying.

Now, I'm not in favor of anyone punching anyone else in the face, ever. Let me be clear about that. I'm just trying to explain that if "Chuck" fans who were dismayed by "Chuck vs. the Fake Name" hear me say, "Trust me, stick with the show," I would understand if they had the urge to punch me.

But, well, trust me. Stick with the show. Also, don't punch me in the face. In case I wasn't clear about that.

You may have disliked "Fake Name" for different reasons than I did. You may have thought the episode was just fine (as other critics and various folks on Twitter apparently did). In either case, let me say this before I get to my critique of the episode:

Next week's episode, "Chuck vs. the Beard," is one of my favorite "Chuck" episodes of all time. It not only is a delightful hour of television, it restored my faith in the overall direction and momentum of the show. Though I've been intrigued by aspects of the character journeys the writers have been crafting in Season 3, their execution hasn't always been in line with their ambitions (and a reduced budget hasn't helped the show acheive a consistent tone). In short, I didn't think "Chuck vs. the Mask" or "Chuck vs. the Fake Name" were examples of the show at its best.

But "Beard" is a treat from start to finish. And the two episodes that follow are not only well-paced and enjoyable, they begin to address some of the elements I've found problematic in the last few episodes. Do they address everything? No, but progress is made on various fronts and the next three episodes got me very excited about the final third of Season 3.

I would guess that, had they had any choice in the matter, the producers of the show would have never, ever chosen "Mask" and "Fake Name" to begin and end break of several weeks for "Chuck." But when NBC decided to bring the show back early, the break for the Olympics had to happen, and it happened with two episodes that had their share of issues, you might say.

Please understand that it brings me no joy to rain on the "Fake Name" parade. "Chuck" is the little show that could and it brings me a lot of pleasure -- most of the time. However, my praise of the show's finest hours would mean nothing if I wasn't honest when it didn't work for me. "Mask" fell flat for me, as I explained here.

As for "Fake Name," there were a few good lines in the episode, and Yvonne Strahovski did, as she has done all season, exceptional work. And as I explain below, I can theoretically understand why the show may have had to go to the Dark Place in order to set up future payoffs. But overall, I had quite a few issues with the episode (some of which reflect larger issues in Season 3). Some of my smaller quibbles:

I thought Johnny Messner was wooden and not very interesting as the assassin.

I have said many times that Zachary Levi is a fine dramatic and comedic actor, and I still believe that, but seeing him imitate a standard/wooden assassin character wasn't that amusing to me.

The Buy More plot seemed tacked on and extraneous.

Shaw and Sarah would prepare the food for Chuck's dinner party? Really? That just struck me as not-quite believable (and when the show is firing on all cylinders, I'm willing to tolerate the not-quite-believable machinations).

I didn't see why the allegedly powerful Ring would have dealings with a couple of D-list gangsters and I found those characters distracting and not very funny (aside from "Paulie Walnuts'" line about hating "will they or won't they" couples, haha).

The best thing about "Fake Name" was Yvonne Strahovski's work -- she's been on fire this season. She gave an amazing performance in the episode -- her eyes as she watched Chuck's dinner party were heartbreaking.

But the thing is, despite her very good work as Sarah, I just don't buy that Sarah would continue to pursue a relationship with Shaw. The writers just haven't developed Shaw or Sarah's motivations for dating him in a way that has felt satisfying to me.

In my opinion, Shaw isn't that compelling, interesting, funny or personable. Are we to believe that simply because he is a handsome man in her vicinity, Sarah wants to pursue a relationship with the guy? How is a relationship with this rather charmless man she works with more plausible or preferable to a relationship with the lovable, funny, smart and wonderful man she works with -- you know, the co-worker with whom she happens to be in love?

Yes, (temporarily) Chuck was with Hannah, but even so, "Chuck" hasn't done a good job of setting up or portraying the relationship between Shaw and Sarah. It doesn't help that Yvonne and Brandon Routh don't have any chemistry, or that Yvonne and Zachary so palpably do. But there's more to my dissatisfaction than that.

I have typically regarded Chuck and Sarah's push-pull relationship as just one part of a show that I like, but that aspect of the show is threatening to become a distraction that detracts from the rest "Chuck." The show has brought that relationship and its vagaries front and center all season, and if it doesn't get resolved one way or the other, it will start to become a serious annoyance. It's clear to even Jeff that Chuck and Sarah are destined to be together, and the
actors have such amazing chemistry that this just needs to happen so that we can all enjoy the many other thing the show does well when it's clicking.

Still, though the boyfriend- or girlfriend-of-the-week plots can get repetitive, I am not inherently against the idea of both characters having other, temporary love interests. This is what TV shows do to delay the inevitable, and up to a point (a point that I am rapidly reaching), I'm willing to tolerate relationship shenanigans. Chuck and Hannah were kind of sweet together, and I didn't mind that development because it was developed fairly well and the actors had chemistry.

If the show was going to bring in a temporary love interest for Sarah, that's fine -- in theory. In execution, with Shaw -- not so much.

At this point, I don't see why Sarah would actively pursue a relationship with Shaw. Especially after he punched the assassin, he seemed like a creep. I've never much liked the guy, or seen what Sarah sees in him, aside from a port in the storm. I was willing to go along with it in "Mask," despite thinking their sudden attraction seemed rushed. But the final scene in "Fake Name" between Sarah and Shaw -- I just found it dispiriting. Why choose that guy? Just because he's there?

I can see the rationale for bringing in Shaw as a Season 3 character -- he has definitely forced Chuck to up his game -- but why the need to put him and Sarah together? What if they were just co-workers who were attracted to each other, but what if Sarah, despite feeling more vulnerable than she has ever felt, realized that he's just not the right guy for her?

Putting relationships in a show just for the sake of it reminds me of the kind of franticly plotted dating merry-go-rounds we used to see on "The O.C." It just feels like, to balance out Chuck-Hannah, the "Chuck" powers-that-be were determined to give us Sarah-Shaw, whether or not it made sense or felt organic to the characters. Perhaps if the show had cast someone other than Routh, it would have felt more organic. As it is, however, the Sarah-Shaw story line has just felt off to me. Having Chuck and Sarah grow and change via other relationships isn't necessarily a bad idea, but those lessons have to feel earned, not forced or random.

I do really like the arc that the show is taking Sarah on as a character -- that just as Chuck is toughening up, she's softening and thinking far more about the emotional and personal opportunities she has given up. As we discussed in this "Chuck vs the Podcast" session, Sarah's wistful arc is as interesting or possibly more interesting than Chuck's this season.

And sure, Chuck hurt her in Prague, but as she comes to terms with her new, more emotionally open state, surely she knows that Shaw isn't really the right guy for her. I guess the rationale might be that as she becomes more vulnerable, she's more in need of a guy to lean on. But does she? Really? I might be able to buy that with someone else, but with Shaw, I don't.

Some fans, I'm sure, will be upset that she told Shaw her real name. I'm not any more upset by that than I am by the progress of the Shaw-Sarah story line in general. My feeling is, when Chuck and Sarah are truly together (whenever that happens), she'll tell him far more than just her first name. What I found distracting about that "name" scene, actually, was how awkward it looked. I understand that the idea was to place the characters where they could be seen through the rifle scope, but it just looked odd to have Shaw and Sarah planted in front of the windows like that.

Almost as dispiriting as the Shaw-Sarah story was the final Hannah-Chuck scene. Now, this scene I'm more mixed on. I can absolutely see why Hannah ripped in to Chuck. She was justified in doing so. But the truth is, I tune in to "Chuck" to have a good time, to have my heartstrings pulled a little, to care about these nerdy but fun characters and to enjoy an hour of escapism. I don't necessarily tune into it to see the lead character appear to act in a caddish way to a perfectly nice woman. That was just a downer.

The first time I watched "Fake Name," I thought: Is this the show I fell in love with in Season 2? Has the show taken too hard a turn toward the dark side?

Now, there are certain elements of "Fake Name" that help set up where Chuck is as a character -- he's learning not only how to lie well, but also what the spy life will cost him. It'll cost him relationships, friendships, a personal life, the ability to share his thoughts and feelings with those closest to him. To be a "real spy," he has to become a fake friend and brother. Perhaps some of the darkness in "Fake Name" was necessary to set up what is to come (and what is to come, from what I've seen in the next three weeks, is well worth watching).

I've watched all of the March episodes of "Chuck" twice, and the second time through, it's not that I began to like "Fake Name" more, but I've accepted that it was what it was. And maybe elements of it were necessary to set up future developments. Your mileage may vary in terms of how well you think it executed those elements, but I want to make one thing clear: I'm not out to say "Chuck's" in bad shape overall. I don't think that's the case. Every show I love has done an episode (or five) that I haven't loved (yes, even "Battlestar Galactica"!!).

It happens. It's not the end of the world. And though Season 3 has had its share of rough patches, I'm still on board as a fan of "Chuck." (And to be fair, I'll try to do reviews of the next few "Chucks," to share the reasons I found those episodes so enjoyable.)

Look at the "what's to come" clip below (if you don't mind seeing a few mild spoilers), and try to trust that it'll all work out.

Possibly.

Don't punch me!

Now, a few warnings. I wavered on whether to post anything about "Fake Name" because I wondered if the reaction to the episode could turn into "ChuckPocalypse 2: The Squeakquel." I wanted to give fans a place to talk about the episode and also to give them some reasons to stick with the show, but not at the cost of my soul.

If the comment area turns very unpleasant, screechy, strident or becomes a huge mess to deal with, I'll shut it down and/or permanently ban commenters who can't observe the rules.

Which are:

On this site, we observe the Lurkers Rule: The environment here should be so accepting, so calm and so non-screechy that most timid lurker should feel it's safe to comment. I won't let angry, vicious, annoying or repetitive people hijack the comment areas.

You can express any opinion you like, as long as it's on topic and as long as you express yourself without vitriol and without attacking others.

To reiterate: Be nice. To further quote from Alan Sepinwall's Rules for Commenting: "This is an opinion blog, and a place where people can and should argue passionately for their point of view. But there's a difference between arguing with passion and arguing with hostility. If you can't find a way to express your viewpoint without insulting other commenters, or getting strident and self-righteous -- say, equating your opinion with fact, and deriding other people for not seeing the truth of your words -- then either tone down your words until they're more respectful to other people, or don't comment."

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Comments

I really liked the episode, even if I felt some of the individual elements were a bit off (like the comic relief gangsters, or Sarah's stiff relationship with Shaw). All this season, I've wanted the show to take a darker tone as it explores what it means for Chuck to become a "real spy" and what he'll have to sacrifice, and the show has yet to disappoint.

I don't think that a show taking a darker turn necessarily precludes having a fun time with it. On the contrary, that's what often means the difference between a show that I enjoy watching, and a show that I love. I like it when a show demonstrates that it has the courage to do something new and different, to grow its characters and its story and take them different places.

For the first few episodes of season 3, I didn't think the people making the show had to guts to take it where it needed to go, but since then I've been pleasantly surprised. They haven't necessarily handled everything well, but if you're looking for airtight plotting, why are you watching Chuck in the first place?

What makes me sad is that Shaw seems to be such a compelling character. His reaction to the scene where Sara and Casey eat dinner with Chuck's family was heartbreaking. I really hope they continue to use Shaw in a way that plays up the greatness this show can have.

And i do think Sara would fall into bed immediately with him, and force a larger level of intimacy then is warranted. She is trying to prove that she can love, and that she can be truthful with someone. She missed her chance with Chuck, and is doing the classic rebound guy.

I'm totally on board with you about Sarah and Shaw's relationship. I liked Chuck and Hannah together, I have absolutely zero problem with Chuck and Sarah having relationships (couldn't really care less if they ever get together themselves or not, to be honest) - I just don't want those relationships to be with people who suck the joy from my screen like Shaw does.

Like you said, there is just no earthly reason to believe that Sarah would fall for this guy, and that just drags the entire show down right now. The name reveal was the nadir, for me. It actually felt like an insult to the viewers that Sarah would tell this completely random, charmless guy something so personal about herself when for two years she has so jealously guarded her privacy from everybody - from people she actually cares about. Even after Shaw is finally jettisoned from the cast (and don't let the door hit you on the way out, Brandon Routh), the memory of him and all this fake, forced closeness with Sarah is going to be casting a shadow over the show for me.

I actually found this episode exponentially more offensive than the previous one purely because of that name reveal scene, which betrayed years of established character behaviour...for what? Ugh.

Was disheartened by the way Chuck dumped Hanah...not cool...not cool at all...regardless of what Chuck may becoming aware of, this was really was not a typical Chuck move. Besides, the two really looked / worked well together as actors as well as characters.

Chuck's character is totally in store for a reboot, which is what I was expecting all season. He has morphed from a non-threat, to a threat through the shift has lost sight of who he is, what his identity is...

While the break-up at the end was just uncool, I get it. Chuck is need of finding out who he is and what he wants and wants to be with.

Have loved watching Sarah develop. What a wonderful actor. My hope though is that we do not endure a lengthy on again off again (trains passing in the night) relationship. Either make it happen or not, either way, there are so many amazing ways this show could go from here...just please do not drag this relationship story-line much longer...

Wow - Mo - you're AWESOME
I don't think I've read a review that spoke so well into the characters and direction of the show - without being self serving.
I'm enjoying the change of pace - and direction of Season 3.
If you'll let me launch into my own What if - for a moment...
I'd love to see Casey get involved in this Love triangle.
Act like Sarah's big brother or something.
Chuck has Morgan and Ellie as a sounding board -
It'd be wonderful to have Casey confront Sarah or a man to man with Shaw ... as only Casey can.

I know it won't happen - but still.... we're all strapped in for the rest of the ride - should be a wonderful journey.
Have a great week -
Thanks again for your dialogue and description.

I understood the Sarah/Shaw relationship in terms of who Sarah is right now. Not who she hopes to be or who she hopes to be with. Shaw is interested, plainly and bluntly, and it is amazing how much more attractive that can (briefly) make a person -- plus, to Sarah, he already knows who she is and what she does. She needs distance from her relationship-that-wasn't with Chuck, and, yes, Shaw is there. Not Mr. Right. Mr. Right Now.

I, overall, liked the episode, partly because I like the conflict Chuck is having about becoming a "real" spy. It grounds the character, and I think Levi is doing an excellent job with it, even if the writing is a little uneven in places.

I understand your point about how you cannot see why Sarah is into Shaw, but please take into account that Chuck hurt Sarah severely at the train station in Prague. Also, Sarah is used to having relationships with no emotional attachment (ie Bryce), so that if something goes wrong, she won't hesitate to act (remember the beginning of Chuck vs the Breakup, season 2 episode 3)?

So Shaw has no charms, therefore has no emotion, and that's what Sarah is looking for right now. Plus, since Shaw knows her real first name, Sarah believes the relationship to be "real". It hasn't occurred to her that she knows nothing of Shaw though. For all we know, Shaw may not be his real name, and Eve and those rings may be a fabrication he made up.

But it isn't important to Sarah whether she knows who Shaw is or not. To her he is a blank slate that she can pretend is the Chuck of seasons 1 and 2. That's why at the end of this episode, she brought him take-out from the Bamboo Dragon (Chuck has taken her there in vs the Sizzling Shrimp and vs the First Date), as well as the crock pot (a gift only Chuck would appreciate).

Remember, Shaw + Sam = Sham. :P OK, sorry, bad joke.

So Brandon Routh is deliberately portraying Shaw as such so we the viewers can see that no other character in Chuck can replace Chuck. And also to show that Shaw will never change Chuck from who he is, so Sarah/Sam will always have Chuck.

I think it's pretty interesting that Chuck's writers etc are willing to go beyond creating likable characters and make things complicated. Do they pull it off? Do the actors pull it off?
For me, the basic premise of Chuck is pretty compelling: is a person's own happiness more or less important than the greater good? And what is that greater good--the nation or a person's friend or friends? If viewers are arguing about the show, it's because these questions don't have easy answers.

"If viewers are arguing about the show, it's because these questions don't have easy answers."

While I respect your opinion, I personally believe that any ambiguity at the center of viewer arguments is a result of weak characterization this season rather than any skilfully-drawn moral gray area,

I've been a fan of Chuck since the beginning for the geekery, the comedy, the action, and the friends/family relationships. But I've never been a huge fan of Chuck/Sarah because 1) Hollywood always gets sucked further and further into that gravitational well and shows become All About the Romance (as Chuck has), and 2) I don't think they're well suited, despite the chemistry.

In season 1, Sarah was the professional spy while Chuck was the nice brother/best friend who had a hard time sacrificing that for the job--right people, right place, wrong time. By season 3, Sarah had examined her past and is now more interested in what she lost by becoming a hardened spy so young; she now thinks love might be more important than the job. Meanwhile, Chuck has become gung ho about being a professional and wants to jump in with both feet, even if it means lying to his family and friends. Again--right people, right place, wrong time.

Sarah/Shaw hasn't bothered me too much, but the writers didn't give Brandon a lot to work with. I see Sarah turning to him as someone who has been a long-time professional, like she has, and has also had an emotional wake-up call recently. A few lines that showed him questioning the job, or even supporting Sarah's questioning the job, would have better developed his appeal for her at this time. I just imagine that it's happened in those long nights at The Castle.

Meanwhile, I'd love to see Chuck able to jump into his exploration of spydom for a while minus the WT/WT. A few eps of Chuck & Casey bromance, bonding over martial arts and weaponry, would balance out the emphasis on romance--and, dammit, I miss Casey!

With the exception of "Chuck vs. the Three Words" I have found the third season difficult to watch. The great thing about fiction is that it has to make sense. Moreover, I felt the writers and actors did a great job laying down the essential nature of their characters in the first two seasons. This season I feel the characters act in opposition to what we understood for the previous 35 episodes. I don't mind the writers taking us in different directions, but I think the execution or justification is weak. For example, if the writers thought Chuck shouldn't take Sarah up on her offer to runaway with him that is ok with me. However his behavior should be associated with the Chuck universe. That is, he turns her down because they have experienced what it would be like on the run [Chuck vs. the Colonel]. He doesn't want to place Sarah in the inevitable danger that arises from being on their own. Also, he wants to be with her without always looking over their shoulders. This is why I had problems with "Chuck vs. the Fake Name." I knew Chuck's breakup with Hannah (Lou II)was going to happen [Kristen Kreuk was signed for 4 episodes], but I didn't accept that Chuck would break up with her in front of her parents. Spy or no-spy, this is not the essential nature of Chuck. The same response holds true for Sarah. The big reveal of her real name to Shaw. The character who only gave her middle name to Chuck is now willing to give this kind of information to her supervisor after a few weeks? Again, if the writers were wanting to compare fake names, Sarah could of told Casey and he might have mentioned Alex Coburn [sic]. After all they have worked together for more than two years and this would be another sign of their growing trust. Plus I really like Adam Baldwin's portrayal of Casey. I haven't given up on the show, but I find these execution issues troubling. I look forward to "Chuck vs. the Beard" because I find Mo's critiques very insightful.

I actually like this episode better than vs the Mask. In terms of the Sarah-Shaw storyline, this should've come first. I feel there was more interaction to warrant an interest on the part of Sarah. Still, Sarah's eventual pursuit for the relationship still borders on unbelievability.

I thought that Johnny Mesner's character was underused, just like the rest of the villains from season 3. Menacing as they keep portraying the antagonists to be, the season has so far not made me feel that the ring is much of a threat as fulcrum was.

Chuck's reason for breaking-up with Hannah left me confused. After listening to the Sarah/Shaw conversation a few miles across, then the talk with Ellie, Chuck tells Hannah that she deserves someone whom she can know fully. I've always had the impression that the real reason was that he has never been over Sarah and that she has always been the one. This, as backed up by the writers letting us eavesdrop on Jeff's own observations.

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